AsureQuality Look to Kiwi Box for Smarter Storage

AsureQuality is a state-owned enterprise (SOE) ensuring ‘that the food people eat is safe right along the food supply chain’. This is achieved through auditing, inspection, farm assurance, and laboratory testing at their 140 locations spanning Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Australasia. The laboratory work requires a temperature-controlled environment in which to store samples before and after testing. An SOE dating back over 100 years, AsureQuality look to work exclusively with reputable partners capable of clinical precision. Enter Kiwi Box…

The challenge that faced AsureQuality

Heather from the Wellington branch of AsureQuality was assigned the mission of sourcing refrigerated storage structures to replace the two they were leasing.

“We were leasing two chillers to store our samples and were looking for new refrigerated containers to add to our facility,” Heather explained. “Our requirements were lighting, shelving to hold our archive boxes, and a proper freezer-style door because we were finding the container doors (on the old lease chillers) were too heavy and too hard to open – especially when they became frozen shut.”

Being an SOE and working in an industry where security and safety are paramount, Heather needed a solution that took this into consideration. “Access was very important for us – we’re very health and safety conscious. We wanted to make sure that the shelving was arranged so our staff weren’t lifting heavy items in an awkward manner or any further than necessary,” she offered.

Greg’s solution was a 20ft refrigerated container for AsureQuality to trial. His team were able to fit easy-open refrigerator doors, allowing easier access. The Kiwi Box team even altered the entry orientation to better suit the desired location. Heather said, “Instead of having the door on the end, we needed a freezer door on the side. So that was a change Greg made for us.”

The lifting issues were solved with fit-for-user shelfing. “We told Greg the size and weight of the boxes we needed to archive, and the shelves were bought-to-measure and met our requirements perfectly.”

Being situated in Wellington, Heather and her colleagues had strict requirements to ensure the Kiwi Box containers were prepared for an earthquake. “The boxes and shelves have been made quake-safe so they won’t fall down in the event of an earthquake, and we use a buddy system to ensure no one enters the containers alone.”

Happy customers, assured

Over the moon with the initial trial run, the partnership between Kiwi Box and AsureQuality has blossomed. Heather exclaimed, “It went from getting one (container) to trial it, then it went to two, and now we’ve got five! This happened over an 18-month to two-year period and we’ve just completed installing and fitting the last two containers from Greg.”

Heather’s words of praise for Kiwi Box are set to spread: “I’ll be meeting with the procurement manager for our Auckland branch shortly, and will pass on Greg’s details to them, and any other branches that are in need. I’d recommend Kiwi Box to anyone. They’ve been fantastic… nothing was a challenge and they fitted the work in with our schedule.”